Journalist Sean Walsh has been hearing plenty of praise regarding Tottenham Hotspur’s acquisition of Guglielmo Vicario, calling the transfer a ‘steal’ based on the reported fee paid.
Tottenham were in dire need of a new goalkeeper this summer, given the rather drastic decline in form for current number one Hugo Lloris last season.
ENFIELD, ENGLAND – JUNE 27: Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario poses as he signs for Tottenham Hotspur at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre on June 27, 2023 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
The Frenchman is expected to be displaced as the first-choice stopper at Spurs for next season, and the 36-year-old has even admitted he is ready to take on a new challenge elsewhere (Nice-Matin).
Since the end of last season, it appeared Brentford’s David Raya would be the man to succeed Lloris in the Spurs goal. Personal terms were agreed with the Spaniard but settling on a fee with the Bees was proving difficult (The Times).
Unwilling to pay the £40m asking price, Spurs moved on to other targets and very swiftly wrapped up a deal for Guglielmo Vicario. According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham have paid Empoli €19m (£16.3m) for the Italian keeper.
Tottenham got a good deal for Vicario
The move to bring Guglielmo Vicario to North London was a great bit of business and ultimately saved Spurs around £24m compared to what they could have paid for Raya.
Sean Walsh has heard good things, as the journalist tells the Talking Transfers podcast: “Vicario of Empoli, he was very much seen as the second-best goalkeeper in Italy last season behind Mike Maignan.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to says that this is a bit of a steal, £20m it will be for him.”
Walsh admits he hasn’t “seen enough of [Vicario]” to judge for himself, and also reveals he is “devastated” Spurs were unable to sign Raya.
Spurs Web Opinion
Raya was my first choice but £40m was way more than we should have been paying for a keeper in the final year of his contract, and the money saved on signing Vicario can be put to good use in other areas now.
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